Carbon stocks in tropical evergreen broadleaf forests in Central Highland, Vietnam

Author： Hai Vo Dai Do Tran Van Trieu Dang Thinh Sato Tamotsu Kozan Osamu

Publisher： Commonwealth Forestry Association

E-ISSN： 2053-7778|17|1|20-29

ISSN： 1465-5489

Source： International Forestry Review, Vol.17, Iss.1, 2015-03, pp. : 20-29

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Abstract

This is the first study on carbon stock estimation in the tropical evergreen broadleaf forests in Central Highland, Vietnam. As result of selective logging and shifting cultivation, remaining forests are silviculturally classified to five categories by governmental standard basing on standing volume (V), including very poor forest (V ≤ 10 m³/ha), poor forest (10 < V ≤ 100 m³/ha), medium forest (100 < V ≤ 200 m³/ha), rich (200 < V ≤ 300 m³/ha), and very rich forest (V > 300 m³/ha). Carbon stock of four pools including big trees (diameter at breast height/dbh ≥ 5 cm), short vegetation layer (dbh < 5 cm), necromass, and soil was measured by using 150 plots of 50 m × 50 m each. Soil carbon stock was assessed from soil samples taken to 30 cm depth. The results indicated total carbon stock increased from 75 tons C/ha in very poor forest to 199 tons C/ha in medium forest, and to 255 tons C/ha in very rich forest. Carbon stock in necromass was significant different (ANOVA; F_{(4, 145)} = 61.70, p < 0.001) among forest categories (from 4 to 8 tons C/ha). Meanwhile, there were no differences of carbon stock in soil and short vegetation layer among forest categories, which ranged 59–64 tons C/ha and 3–4 tons C/ha, respectively. There was a linear positive relationship between carbon in big trees and that in necromass (R₍₁₄₉₎ = 0.61, p < 0.01). It is concluded that the degree of human disturbance had significant impacts on carbon sink in the present study forests.